Water-power wheel



March 29, 1927. 1,622,365

G. E. BROOKS WATER POWER WHEEL Filed Aug. 16, 1926 Zmj q FIBRE INVENT R luv. 6, /M

Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED "STATES 'GEQRGE ERASMUS'BRQOKS, F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

WATER-PO'WER WHEEL.

Application filed August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,564.

This invention relates 'to a water power wheel as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form part ofthe same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims fornovelty following a description containing-an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to construct a water wheel especially adapted for shallow streams; to provide meansof regulating the depth to which the wheel is to be submerged; to utilize the potential energy of the waters of shallow streams; and, generally to manufacture a water wheel of improved construction capable of accomplishing the aforesaid purposes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is-a front elevation view of the wheel, showing "the sluiceway and part of the wheel in section Figure '2 is a cross-sectional end view of the wheel, taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a modification 'in the construction of the drum.

Figure 4 'is an enlarged perspective view of the baftleplate 22.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the blade 24;.

Figure 6 shows another modification in the construction of the drum.

Like numerals of reference indicate corre sponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is a watertight drum or shell rigidly mounted on the horizontally-arranged shaft 11 which rotates in suitable bearings 12 vertically adjustable in the standards 13.

A suitable sluiceway is provided for causing a volume of water to be directed to and pass in a channel 14 within which the drum is mounted. The drawings show a suitably constructed metal drum having the end plates 15 rigidly secured to the circumferential wall 19, the wall 19 being formed with a number of circumferential grooves 18. 20 are suitable brackets regidl'y secured to the shaft 11 and to the end plates 15; 21 are spokes or stilfeners rigidly secured to the brackets 20 and to the end plates. The wheel is preferably provided with intermediate stiffening frames, such as a bracket 23 rigidly secured to the shaft and radially disposed spokes 24 rigidly secured between the shell and said bracket 23. Upon the outer surface of the wall .19 are secured, at intervals, a number of plates 22 having the function of blades and 'baflie plates; these plates are made substantially-as shown in Figure 4-, having the leg 23 forming a blade against which the water strikes'or ini pinges. and being bent at centre :lengtl thereof, as at 23 to throw or direct the water arrested thereby =to-each side and into the circumferential grooves or channels 18.

'lVithin thegrooves 18 and on the vertical faces thereof, are secured at regular intervals, the blades 24 laid along lines radiating from the axis of the drum. These blades are formed substantially as'shown in Figure 5, having slanting legs 24 which serve the function of blades and baflie plates. As the water =impinges=u pon the blades, it isthrown partly sideways toward the centre of the groove and upon and against the adjacent blades on the other face of the groove. It follows that the blades 24 in the adjacent or opposite faces of the grooves 18 must be staggered, so that a blade in one face will catch-or receive the water which is deflected from the corresponding blade in :t-he opposite face of the groove. Similarly, atheblades 22 must be situated slightly in advance of the corresponding blades 24, so that the water which is deflected by the baffle plate 22 will be caught or received by the adjacent blades. 24*.

Upon one end of the shaft 11 is secured any pulley, gear or other suitable device adapted for extracting the mechanical energy generated by the rotation of the wheel.

The width of each groove 18 and the distance between any two consecutive grooves, as well as the depth of the grooves, must be such that the drum, while floating, will have the bottom of each groove slightly above the water.

Figure 6 shows a modification from the construction shown in Figure 1, the rectangular grooves 18 in Figure 1 being replaced by V-shaped grooves 26, there being only one set or kind of blades, designated by the nu meral 27.

Figure 3 shows another variation in the construction of the drum, the drum consist ing of a shell open at both ends and being formed, as in the drum shown in Figure 1, with the grooves 18 by the use of spaced U- shaped sections 31.

It will be seen that by providing a numper of equally-distanced grooves or channels 18 only partl submerged under the level of the water, t e wall of water striking the wheel is diverted into a number of passages where its momentum is only gradually destroyed. The wheel is allowed to float, but if the water level is found to entirely submerge the grooves 18, the elevation of the shaft 11, and therefore that of the wheel proper, is adjusted by means of the wheel 33.

What I claim is:

1. A water wheel comprising a rotatable floating drum having a plurality of spaced peripheral grooves and blades adjacently disposed in said grooves in staggered formation adapted for deflecting the water striking one blade to and upon the blade next adjacently disposed.

2. In a water wheel, a rctatablev:atertight drum having a plurality of spaced peripheral grooves sized to partially extend above the water level, and blades radially disposed on the vertical faces of said grooves and laid in staggered formation therealong.

8. In a water wheel, a rotatable watertight drum formed with spaced peripheral channels extending above the water level, blades radially disposed on the vertical faces of said channels and laid in staggered formation therealong, and baffle plates located between said channels adapted to deflect the water striking same to and into said channels.

4.. In a water wheel, a rotatable watertight drum formed with a plurality of spaced peripheral grooves, blades radially disposed on the vertical faces of said grooves and laid in staggered formation therealong, and baffle plates located between said grooves in advance of said blades adapted to deflect the water striking same to and upon said blades.

5. In a water wheel, a rotatable floating drum having a plurality of peripheral grooves sized to partially extend above the water level, baffle plates located along the periphery of said drum between said grooves and formed to deflect the water striking said plates to and into said grooves, and blades secured on the opposite vertical faces of said grooves and laid in staggeret formation therealong'. y

6. In a water wheel, a rotatable floating drum having a plurality of inwardly formed channels, baflle plates secured on the periph: cry of said drum between said channels and formed to deflect the water striking same sideways andinto said channels, and blades secured to the vertical faces of said channels and situated rearwardly of said baflle plates relative to the direction of the current.

7. In a water wheel, a water-tight drum having a plurality of spaced peripheral grooves, a shaft rigidly mounting said drum and rotating therewith, V-shaped baffle plates carried by said drum between said grooves, and a plurality of radially-disposed blades adjacently secured on the vertical faces of said grooves and staggered therealong, each of said blades having a slanting face adapted to deflect the water striking same to and upon the next adjacently located blade.

Signed at the city of Toronto, this 28th day of July, 1926.

' GEORGE ERASMUS BROOKS. 

